Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXVIII, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy

188. Briefing Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Management (Moose) to Secretary of State Vance¹

Washington, April 4, 1977

Affirmative Action

The President, in a note of March 25 (Tab A),² asked that Cabinet officers be prepared to give him a report on efforts to hire “strongly representative numbers of women and minority citizens” above the level of GS–15. This memorandum gives you information on the subject which can be used as talking points with the President.

A. Since the Administration took office, 35 persons have been brought into the Department above GS–15 or its equivalent, including executive level appointments. Of these new appointees, ten are women, minority or both. There are six women and seven minority appointees, of which three are minority women. A listing is at Tab B.³

B. If one focuses on the top 34 jobs in the Department—those at assistant secretary or above (including the independent, assistant secretary-level offices for Human Rights and Narcotics Matters)—eight are now filled by persons who are women or minority or both. A ninth assistant secretary-level position will soon be filled by a woman, which will bring the minority/women complement to 26 percent of the top Department jobs. Under the previous administration, three (nine percent) of the top ranking Department positions were held by minority representatives or women. We now have six—soon to be seven—women in top jobs; four of the top 34 are minority, of which two are women. The Department has its first woman Under Secretary of State. An organization chart with minorities and women noted is attached at Tab C.⁴ Most ambassadorial appointments are, of course, yet to come.

C. You may also want to tell the President of the other actions that you have taken to improve affirmative action efforts in the State Department since your appointment. Accordingly, I am including at Tab D a copy of your circular letter of March 15⁵ for ready reference and a copy of my follow-on memorandum to Assistant Secretaries and Heads of Offices concerning Affirmative Action.⁶

D. The Executive Level Task Force on Affirmative Action, which you set up by your March 15 memorandum, held its first meeting on March 21.⁷ The Task Force is now organizing itself to examine two crucial areas of the Affirmative Action program. They are: Selection and Hiring Procedures, and Upward Mobility and Handicapped programs. I expect the Task Force to look into all areas of the State Department and to consult with groups inside and outside the government as necessary, and to give me some recommendations for steps which you may take in both the short run as well as the long term. One of the first actions of the Task Force is a move to intensify recruitment of Foreign Service officers at colleges and universities with large minority populations. We are now forming teams to visit selected institutions to strengthen relations with both faculty and students. We are seeking to establish links which will last and which will encourage minority interest in foreign affairs as a career.

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of the Under Secretary for Management (M), 1977–1978, Box 1, Chron April 1977. No classification marking. Drafted on April 1 by Robert Holliday (M/MO); cleared by Clayton McManaway (M/MO).
2. See Document 187.
3. Attached but not printed.
4. Attached but not printed.
5. See the attachment to Document 186.
6. Attached but not printed.
7. No minutes of this meeting were found.